This invention concerns a device that comprises oleophilic absorption media for absorbing fatty plaque suspended in blood, support for the oleophilic absorption media and an outer vessel for containing vascular blood, oleophilic absorption media and said media support structure. The device of this invention is used in combination with a pump for pumping of blood and three catheters that connect the device, the pump and the patient blood vessel.
Vascular occlusions restrict or reduce the flow of blood throughout blood vessels. There are several existing devices and surgical techniques presently in use to loosen and extricate vascular occlusions, and restore or increase blood flow. Unfortunately, these devices and techniques have unpredictable, and therefore undesirable, side effects due to their inability to securely remove substantially all of the offending occlusive material from the patient.
Some procedures, such as angioplasty, create room for increased blood flow through or around an occlusion by compressing the occlusive plaque material against the inner walls of the occluded blood vessel. Portions of the occlusive plaque material often resist this compression. They can then flow freely through the affected blood vessel to other areas of the circulatory system. This free flow of plaque can lead to a secondary occlusive buildup in the patient, causing a heart attack, brain hemorrhage, stroke, or even death.
This invention incorporates the use of a device for removal of fatty debris suspended in vascular blood. This device is capable of completely removing suspended, loose occlusive plaque material from the patient. Complete removal of the occlusive plaque will minimize the undesirable collateral effects of loosened material causing further blockages in blood vessels.
The use of this device is similar to dialysis procedure for renal patients. As external dialysis removes excess urinary waste, this device removes suspended, undesirable fatty vascular occlusive material. Processing of blood through renal dialysis machinery serves to eliminate unwanted urinary material. This device similarly removes suspended, unwanted loose fatty debris (vascular plaque) from blood.
This device for removal of fatty debris present in vascular blood also presents the advantage of eliminating the need for secondary vascular surgery in many patients. Secondary vascular surgery may be required to correct occluded blood flow resulting from primary occlusion removal surgery.
Several existing devices are available for the mitigation of vascular occlusions, but only this device provides for the complete removal of suspended fatty vascular debris resulting from all forms of vascular surgery. The surgical removal of vascular plaque simultaneously with vascular blood cleansing by use of occlusive fatty plaque oleophilic absorption media is advantageous, since subsequent occlusions caused by loosened plaque will therefore be much less likely to occur.
It is also highly desirable to remove the surgically loosened plaque so that secondary vessel blockage does not result. All of this can be done simultaneous with or following vascular surgery.
The present invention significantly advances the art of surgical removal of fatty occlusions and obstructions within the cardiovascular or peripheral vascular systems of humans and animals. It does so by separately or by simultaneously cleansing the blood of surgery patients. The process of blood cleansing occurs external to the patient.
The device comprises two chambers with a membrane between them. The membrane comprises super-absorbent oleophilic material and a porous support structure. The two chambers and the membrane are located within an outer containment vessel.
Use of the device is made by removing patient blood through a catheter, pumping it through the device, conducting the cleansed blood through a return catheter and back into the patient""s circulatory system.
Removal of fatty vascular debris occurs by presenting vascular blood to this device which contains super-absorbent oleophilic microfibers. This super-absorbent oleophilic material selectively attracts and holds loose fatty debris. The elimination of fatty vascular debris from the patient is affected by discarding the super-absorbent material after use.
Angioplasty, one of the medical treatments currently in use, presses fatty offending material against the inside wall of an occluded blood vessel. This action can cause pieces of the occlusion to break loose and subsequently circulate in the patient""s vascular system. Such treatment may result in additional vascular occlusions elsewhere in the body, or even death.
Surgical implantation of stents will similarly cause portions of fatty vascular plaque to break loose and circulate through the patient after surgery. The surgical procedure for which the present invention is intended provides a more effective removal of the occlusive material from a blood vessel than could result from a common surgical procedure alone. This is accomplished by the cleansing of vascular blood during or after vascular surgery by fat-absorbing oleophilic material.